nole and andy: the young guns

So the buzz machines are all over Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic lately, the two teen players who have risen to the top of their games (leaving the rest of the under-21 set — Richard Gasquet, Marcos Baghdatis and Gael Monfils, among others — to wallow, distracted, in their wake).

I’m excited to see how this all plays out. If injuries (or dreams of making it in Hollywood, perhaps) don’t get the best of them, we’re likely in for a rivalry that will actually be, instead of the “maybe” rivalries of Federer-Nadal, Federer-Roddick, or Federer-[insert hot ATP player of the moment here].

You can read up on what Djokovic and Murray have been up to in the last two years.

Tidbits: Both are in the top 15, are a week apart in age, and actually hang out with each other. “Murray is a versatile and cagey counterpuncher who mixes his shots well and plays superior defense. Djokovic also is agile around the court but packs more firepower off the ground and has a bigger serve.”

Another difference: Djokovic has his way with words, guest blogging on his friend Ana Ivanovic‘s website for one of her matches at Indian Wells. He jotted his notes on a wide-ruled notebook, though it could’ve been wrung through a ghostwriter. Ana’s reaction to the blog post: “It’s very impressive to see that Novak can write so well in English, because it’s not even his first language.”